Oklahoma Secretary of State Glenn Coffee on Friday (December 7) announced that he will be stepping down to pursue opportunities in the private sector.

Coffee has held his current cabinet level position in Governor Mary Fallin’s administration since January 2011. Prior to serving as secretary of state, Coffee was the president pro tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate. Coffee will step down no later than Jan. 31, 2013.

“Serving the state of Oklahoma has been my dream since I was a small boy,” Coffee said. “Being able to serve on such a high level, first as senate president pro tem and then as secretary of state, is truly a dream come true."

“While I am sad to leave my post in the Fallin administration, I could not be happier with the course that Governor Fallin has charted for the state of Oklahoma. For the last two years I have had the great privilege of helping the governor craft policies that will continue Oklahoma’s forward momentum and help to spur job creation for decades to come. My thanks go out to Governor Fallin for giving me the opportunity to serve as secretary of state, and to all of the great men and women who worked with me during my years in public office.”

Fallin said Coffee brought a wealth of experience to the state Capitol.

In comments sent to CapitolBeatOK, Gov. Fallin said, “Glenn Coffee has been a fixture in Oklahoma politics for over a decade. As Senate pro tem, he helped to deliver the first ever Republican majority in the state Senate, setting the stage for unified conservative government. As secretary of state, Glenn continued his good work by helping to craft fiscally conservative budgets, landmark lawsuit reform and workers compensation legislation. His experience and wealth of knowledge will be sorely missed. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

The office of the secretary of state serves as a registry of Oklahoma’s official documents, filing and certifying executive orders, appointments and proclamations as well as publishing new statutes. In addition to his official duties as the head of that agency, Coffee also served as Fallin’s lead negotiator on budget issues and issues related to Oklahoma water rights.

Secretary of Finance Preston Doerflinger will assume Coffee’s responsibilities as Fallin’s lead budget negotiator. The Fallin administration plans to retain Coffee as an outside consultant on water issues, although details of that arrangement have not yet been finalized.

Glenn Coffee’s Biography

Glenn Coffee is a businessman, attorney and family man who was the first Republican in Oklahoma history to serve as President Pro Tempore, the top leadership position in the Oklahoma State Senate. Coffee was also the longest-serving Republican leader in the Senate.

In 2008, Republicans made history by winning their first-ever majority in the Oklahoma Legislature’s upper chamber. As the leader of the new majority, Coffee was elected to a two-year term as President Pro Tempore (2009-2010).

First elected to the State Senate in 1998, Coffee quickly gained a reputation as a leader and a reformer. He has served in a variety of leadership posts in the State Senate, including Minority Floor Leader (2004-2006), and as Senate Co-President Pro Tempore (2007-08) after Republicans won a historic tie in the Oklahoma State Senate in the 2006 elections, sharing the responsibility of running the State Senate with his Democrat counterpart.

Coffee earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Northeastern State University in 1989 and was named

Outstanding Senior. He received a law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1992.

Throughout his 12 years in the Legislature, Coffee was honored by numerous organizations for his dedication to education, as well as for his efforts to improve public safety and for his legislation aimed at better protecting Oklahoma’s children. The Higher Education Alumni Association honored Coffee with its Lifetime Achievement Award for his support of higher education, and Northeastern State University awarded Coffee 2003 Citation of Merit, Young Alumnus Award. The Institute for Child Advocacy named Coffee to its Child Advocates Hall of Fame. Coffee received appreciation awards from the District Attorneys Council, the Oklahoma Sheriffs Association, and the State Troopers Association for his support of law enforcement and public safety issues.

Coffee was selected as the 2009 Legislator of the Year by the Oklahoma Rifle Association and the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association. In 2010, Coffee received the State Chamber of Oklahoma’s Spirit of Leadership Award for creating the first Republican majority in Oklahoma’s Senate history as well as becoming first Republican President Pro Tempore.

Coffee received the American Legislative Exchange Council’s 2010 National Legislator of the Year Award.

Coffee serves as general counsel for TVC Marketing Association, a family business providing road and motor club services and other services to small businesses. Coffee lives in Oklahoma City with his wife Lisa and their four children, sons Collin and Blaine and daughters Anna and Kate.

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